Fall 2012 Trend Report: Rounded Sleeves

In the world of midcentury fashion, Cristobal Balenciaga was king of couturiers. “The Conductor of Haute Couture” (as Christian Dior once called him) transformed the fashion industry with his groundbreaking sculptural designs like the egg coat, the baby doll dress, and the barrel suit. One of the many shapes that Cristobal Balenciaga pioneered, the rounded sleeve, made a big comeback on the fall 2012 runways. Not surprisingly, one of the most inventive iterations of the curved sleeve came via Balenciaga’s current designer, Nicolas Ghesquiere. Padded sweatshirts with bizarre mantras like “Join a weird trip” will surely spawn dozens of knock-offs just as Cristobal’s designs did decades ago.

A curved sleeve could add bulk to your shape, so keep the rest of your look as streamlined as possible. Pair a rounded jacket with second skin pants à la Peter Som or cinch your waist with a thick belt like at Lanvin. The minimalist master Francisco Costa showed the most wearable version at Calvin Klein – a simple gray dress with slightly rounded sleeves is a fashion-forward choice suitable for almost any occasion.